Hinc igitur dirigimus praescriptionem, si dominus Iesus Christus apostolos misit ad praedicandum, alios non esse recipiendos praedicatores, quam quos Christus instituit. ... Si haec ita sunt, constat proinde omnem doctrinam, 5 quae cum illis ecclesiis apostolicis, matricibus et originalibus fidei, conspiret, veritati deputandam, id sine dubio tenentem, quod ecclesiae ab apostolis, apostoli a Christo, Christus a deo accepit; reliquam vero omnem doctrinam de mendacio praeiudicandam, quae sapiat contra veritatem 10 ecclesiarum et apostolorum et Christi et dei.

Ibid. 16-21.

XLI.

NON omittam ipsius etiam conversationis haereticae descriptionem, quam futilis, quam terrena, quam humana sit, sine gravitate, sine auctoritate, sine disciplina, ut fidei suae congruens. Inprimis quis catechumenus, quis fidelis, 15 incertum est; pariter adeunt, pariter audiunt, pariter orant, etiam ethnici, si supervenerint; sanctum canibus et porcis margaritas, licet non veras, iactabunt. Simplicitatem volunt esse prostrationem disciplinae, cuius penes nos curam lenocinium vocant. Pacem quoque passim cum omnibus 20 miscent. Nihil enim interest illis, licet diversa tractantibus, dum ad unius veritatis expugnationem conspirent. Omnes scientiam pollicentur. Ante sunt perfecti catechumeni, quam edocti. Ipsae mulieres haereticae, quam procaces! quae audeant docere, contendere, exorcismos agere, cura25 tiones repromittere, forsitan et tingere. Ordinationes eorum temerariae, leves, inconstantes. Nunc neophytos collocant, nunc saeculo obstrictos, nunc apostatas nostros,

our demurrer, that if the Lord Christ Jesus sent Apostles to preach, other than those whom Christ appointed ought not to be received as preachers. . . . If these things be so, it is in the same way plain that all teaching which agrees with those Apostolic Churches which are the wombs and 5 origins of the faith must be ascribed to the truth, such teaching doubtless containing that which the Churches received from the Apostles, the Apostles from Christ, and Christ from God, whereas all other teaching must be summarily set down as false, since its tenor is opposed to the 10 truth of the Churches and Apostles, and Christ and God.

Disorderly Worship of Heretics.

I WILL not leave out a description of the conduct also of the heretics-how empty it is, how earthly, how merely human, without sobriety, without impressiveness, without discipline—as suits their faith. In the first place, who is 15 catechumen and who faithful, is doubtful. They all come up alike, all hear, all pray alike-heathens too, if they come in. That which is holy they will cast to the dogs, and their pearls (though they are but shams) to the swine. They will have it that simplicity means the destruction of 20 discipline, and the care of it with us they call pandering. Peace, too, they mix up at random with all comers; for with all their differences of thinking they care for nothing so long as they are agreed on assailing the one single Truth. They all promise knowledge. The catechumens 25 are perfect before they are fully taught. The very women. of the heretics-how pert they are! For they have the impudence to teach to wrangle, to perform exorcisms, to undertake healings, possibly even to baptize. Their ordinations are random, capricious, unsettled. Sometimes 30 they appoint novices, sometimes secular officials, sometimes renegades of ours, in order to bind them by vain

Nus

ut gloria eos obligent, quia veritate non possunt. quam facilius proficitur, quam in castris rebellium, ubi ipsum esse illic, promereri est. Itaque alius hodie episcopus, cras alius; hodie diaconus, qui cras lector; hodie 5 presbyter, qui cras laicus; nam et laicis sacerdotalia munera iniungunt.

Ibid. 41.

XLII.

AUDIO etiam edictum esse propositum, et quidem peremptorium. Pontifex scilicet Maximus, episcopus episcoporum edicit: Ego et moechiae et fornicationis delicta to poenitentia functis dimitto. O edictum, cui adscribi non poterit: Bonum factum! Et ubi proponetur liberalitas ista? Ibidem, opinor, in ipsis libidinum ianuis, sub ipsis libidinum titulis. Illic eiusmodi poenitentia promulganda est, ubi delinquentia ipsa versabitur. Illic legenda est 15 venia, quo cum spe eius intrabitur. Sed hoc in ecclesia legitur, et in ecclesia pronuntiatur, et virgo est.

ID. De Pudicit. 1.

XLIII.

RECENSEAMUS nunc cetera pericula et vulnera, ut dixi, fidei ab apostolo provisa non carnis tantum verum etiam ipsius spiritus molestissima. . . . Domino certe non potest 20 pro disciplina satisfacere, habens in latere diaboli servum, procuratorem domini sui ad impedienda fidelium studia et officia: ut si statio facienda est, maritus de die condicat ad balneas; si ieiunia observanda sunt, maritus eadem die convivium exerceat; si procedendum erit, nunquam magis

glory, for by truth they cannot. Nowhere is promotion easier than in the camp of rebels, where the mere fact of being there is a merit. Thus one man is bishop to-day, another to-morrow: he is deacon to-day who to-morrow is reader, and he is presbyter to-day who to-morrow is lay- 5 man; for even on laymen they impose priestly functions.

The Roman Bishop's Edict.

I HEAR also that an edict has been issued, and that a decisive one. The sovereign Pontiff forsooth, the bishop of bishops puts forth his edict. 'I,' says he, 'to them that have done penitence remit the sins of both 10 adultery and fornication.' What an edict it is, to which we cannot add Well done! And where shall that gracious message be posted up? On the very spot, I suppose on the very door-posts of lust, beneath the advertisements themselves of lust. There ought penitence 15 of that sort to be published, where the offence itself shall dwell. There ought the pardon to be read, where men enter in the hope of it. But this-in the Church it is read, and in the Church pronounced, and she is a virgin!

Inconveniences of a mixed Marriage.

LET us now recount the other dangers and wounds, as 20 I said, of faith foreseen by the Apostle as not to the flesh only, but likewise even to the spirit very grievous. Without doubt she cannot satisfy the Lord according to discipline, when she has at her side a servant of the devil, an agent of his lord to hinder the works and duties of 25 believers; so that if there is a meeting to attend, her husband the first thing in the morning makes her an appointment for the baths; if there are fasts to be observed, her husband that same day gives a dinner; if she has to go out [on charitable errands], never is household 30

familiae occupatio obveniat. Quis enim sinat coniugem suam visitandorum fratrum gratia vicatim aliena et quidem pauperiora quaeque tuguria circuire? quis nocturnis convocationibus, si ita oportuerit, a latere suo adimi libenter feret? quis denique sollemnibus Paschae abnoctantem securus sustinebit? quis ad convivium dominicum illud quod infamant sine sua suspicione dimittet? quis in carcerem ad osculanda vincula martyris reptare patietur? Iam vero alicui fratrum ad osculum convenire? aquam to sanctorum pedibus offerre? de cibo, de poculo invadere, desiderare, in mente habere? si et peregre frater adveniat, quod in aliena domo hospitium? si cui largiendum erit, horreum, proma praeclusa sunt. ... Moratur dei ancilla cum laboribus alienis, et inter illos omnibus honoribus 15 daemonum, omnibus sollemnibus regum, incipiente anno, incipiente mense, nidore thuris agitabitur. Et procedet de ianua laureata et lucernata, ut de novo consistorio libidinum publicarum; discumbet cum marito in sodalitiis, saepe in popinis ; et ministrabit nonnunquam iniquis, solita Lo quondam sanctis ministrare; et non hinc praeiudicium damnationis suae agnoscet, eos observans, quos erat iudicatura1?

XLIV.

ID. Ad Uxorem, ii. 3-6.

NAM iste primus ex Asia hoc genus perversitatis intulit Romae, homo et alias inquietus, insuper de iactatione 25 martyrii inflatus ob solum et simplex et breve carceris taedium, quando, etsi corpus suum tradidisset exurendum,

1 1 Cor. vi. 2.